An important and continuing goal in the data storage industry is that of increasing the density of data stored on a medium. For tape storage systems, that goal has lead to increasing the track density in recording tape heads, and decreasing the thickness of the magnetic tape medium. However, the development of small footprint, higher performance tape drive systems has created various problems in the design of a tape head assembly for use in such systems.
Such problems include multi-track, high density recording on high coercivity tape media. However, compatibility with conventional tape media is also a problem. In addition to the higher coercivity, higher density tape media, tape head assemblies should also read conventional track formats on CrO.sub.2 tapes recorded at lower linear densities. CrO.sub.2 tape is abrasive and can lead to excessive wear and rapid preferential pole erosion on thin film write elements.
In addition, tape head assemblies must perform read while write operation in both forward and backward direction of tape motion at high tape speeds. Moreover, tape head assemblies must be moveable perpendicular to the direction of tape motion to allow multiple passes of the tape with the head in different cross tape locations.
Thus, there exists a need for a multi-element, thin film tape head assembly for use in a tape drive that will use high coercivity half-inch tape (e.g., &gt;1600 Oe coercivity metal particle media) and a high recording density (e.g., &gt;50 kfci base with write equalization). Such a tape head assembly would perform read while write operation in both forward and backward direction of tape motion at a tape speed of between approximately 1 and 4 m/s, and would be moveable perpendicular to the direction of tape motion to allow multiple passes of the tape. Still further, such a tape head assembly would include 18 tape head elements on an approximately 630 .mu.m pitch, such that the tape head assembly would be capable of reading old format 18 and 36 track CrO.sub.2 tapes recorded at a lower linear density (25 kfci).